SpecificationsIpreo's BD Corporate is a Web-based, IR-specific workflow solution that integrates a global buy-side and sell-side investment community database and global equity and fixed-income portfolio holdings data. Core functionality includes a CRM and communications system, investor screening, alerting, and reporting tools, such as investor profiles and IR activity reports. Sell-side broker research and estimates, events and transcripts, real-time market data, and activist investor intelligence are also available.

CostSubscriptions typically start at $15,000 per year.

OwnershipPrivately held.

UserLaura Lepore, manager of investor relations and corporate communications at Progressive Waste Solutions, has been using Ipreo's BD Corporate in her current role since June 2012, but she began using it at another company about two and a half years ago.

How do you use it? I log on to the website with my user name and password. It's great because I can access it from any computer anywhere in the world.

I mainly use it as a contact-management system. I'm able to look up information and there are a number of functions that allow me to perform various searches for IR-related information on investors, institutions, specific public companies, and more. I'm also able to create a database and track and store information pertaining to IR functions we perform, such as meetings, events, conferences, and roadshows.

If there's a problem I'll email or call my customer service representative. He's very proactive. He usually calls me if there's an issue before I even have a chance to call him. That's really excellent service. When he's not available, there's a 24-hour help available via email and phone. If I put a question into the online email contact form, I typically get a call back within 10 minutes.

How does it serve your business needs? I mainly use it to track all shareholder activities and events and meetings information. It lets me export data, create customized contact lists, and quickly access historical activities. We meet with hundreds of investors and analysts on a quarterly basis. It's not easy to remember what was discussed with every one of them, but this contact management system makes it really easy.

I also use it to look up investor profiles in preparation for meetings with prospective investors or analysts. A profile could include information on an investor's firm, the investment style of the firm or fund, the firm's current investments, and often a bio on the investor or analyst I'm researching or meeting with.
We recently attended a conference where we met with shareholders and prospective investors. I was able to quickly look up and download profiles on these investors to help prepare for the conference and provide briefings to our senior management.
From an IR perspective, it's truly important to understand and know who comprises your company's shareholder base, as well as who your prospective investors can be. I download a list of shareholders on a quarterly basis that gives me a very clear picture based on filings of owns company stock, who's bought into the stock or increased their position, and who has sold out of the stock or decreased their position.

There is also a targeting tool that helps you seek out prospective investors and I'm looking to use this tool more this year.

How does it integrate with your existing infrastructure from an IT standpoint?It is a standalone Web-based application.

What are the main benefits?Customer service is outstanding. Our representative always provides insight and solutions on other issues faced by IROs. Questions are always answered quickly, and I'm always talking to the same person so we have a history and they understand what I'm working on. Ipreo is also involved in various IR community events, so there are a lot of opportunities to communicate face-to-face on other issues.

The product is quick. There's no lag time when downloading data, such as custom lists.

It's also very reliable. I don't recall experiencing any downtime, which is very important, as I sometimes have to work late nights and travel across different time zones.

What are the main drawbacks?I can't think of drawbacks. If there's ever something I need that I can't find or is missing, my rep points me in the right direction or provides me with the answer.

What would you like to see improved / added? I would like to just see them continue to provide me with solutions.